A year ago, I decided to reduce my employment level from 100% to 80% and to take Fridays off.

My main motivation was to have some time for myself: Relax, reduce my stress level from work, have more time for side projects, do more sports, and maybe spend more time with my wife without the kids. This was only partially successful as there were a few things I had not realized beforehand.

I’d like to describe my experience, and will focus on the effects this change had on my work, financial situation, side projects, and personal life / health.

To give some background, I’ll start with my personal situation: I have two small kids and spend the mornings, evenings and the weekends with them. During the day I’m working. This schedule does not leave much time for myself. When the kids go to bed in the evenings, I’m usually [...]

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First published:
June 7th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/KnvHZiAMzjnRLnKym/on-working-80

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“On working 80%” by adrische 05:24 Share

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“On working 80%” by adrische